Gulliver's Travels eBook

a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom. We directed
him to draw out whatever was at the end of that chain,
which appeared to be a globe, half silver, and half
of some transparent metal; for on the transparent
side we saw certain strange figures, circularly drawn,
and thought we could touch them till we found our
fingers stopped by that lucid substance.[17] He put
this engine to our ears, which made an incessant noise,
like that of a water-mill; and we conjecture it is
either some unknown animal, or the god that he worships;
but we are more inclined to the latter opinion, because
he assured us (if we understood him right, for he
expressed himself very imperfectly), that he seldom
did anything without consulting it. He called
it his oracle, and said it pointed out the time for
every action of his life. From the left fob he
took out a net almost large enough for a fisherman,
but contrived to open and shut like a purse, and served
him for the same use; we found therein several massy
pieces of yellow metal, which, if they be real gold,
must be of immense value.

Having thus, in obedience to your majesty’s
commands, diligently searched all his pockets, we
observed a girdle about his waist, made of the hide
of some prodigious animal, from which, on the left
side, hung a sword of the length of five men; and
on the right, a bag or pouch, divided into two cells,
each cell capable of holding three of your majesty’s
subjects. In one of these cells were several globes,
or balls, of a most ponderous metal, about the bigness
of our heads, and required a strong hand to lift them;
the other cell contained a heap of certain black grains,
but of no great bulk or weight, for we could hold about
fifty of them in the palms of our hands.

This is an exact inventory of what we found about
the body of the man-mountain, who used us with great
civility and due respect to your majesty’s commission.
Signed and sealed, on the fourth day of the eighty-ninth
moon of your majesty’s auspicious reign.

CLEFRIN
FRELOC.
MARSI
FRELOC.

When this inventory was read over to the emperor,
he directed me, although in very gentle terms, to
deliver up the several particulars.

He first called for my scimitar, which I took out,
scabbard and all. In the meantime, he ordered
three thousand of his choicest troops (who then attended
him) to surround me at a distance, with their bows
and arrows just ready to discharge; but I did not
observe it, for mine eyes were wholly fixed upon his
majesty. He then desired me to draw my scimitar,
which, although it had got some rust by the sea-water,
was in most parts exceedingly bright. I did so,
and immediately all the troops gave a shout between
terror and surprise; for the sun shone clear, and the
reflection dazzled their eyes, as I waved the scimitar
to and fro in my hand. His majesty, who is a
most magnanimous prince, was less daunted than I could
expect; he ordered me to return it into the scabbard,
and cast it on the ground as gently as I could, about
six feet from the end of my chain.